1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns an arrangement for data processing, in particular for a franking machine, with: a data processing device; a memory permanently connected with the data processing device; and a security module connected with the data processing device for implementation of security-relevant services; whereby the data processing device is fashioned to store user data predeterminable by a user of the arrangement in the memory. It furthermore concerns a corresponding method for operation of such an arrangement for data processing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A series of such arrangements for data processing are known in which a security module executes security-relevant services. Such security-relevant services can be any services in which a legal or economic interest exists that no undetected manipulations occur in their execution. Such services are frequently billing-relevant services whose execution is directly or indirectly connected with a payment of a specific monetary amount. This is the case, for example, in the franking of mail pieces, given which a franking imprint with monetary value is applied on the mail piece, which monetary value is in turn billed via a corresponding billing service of the security module.
In such arrangements for data processing that are used, for example, in the framework of a franking machine, the security-relevant data (thus, for example, the data that are required for execution of the security-relevant service or that result from the execution of the security-relevant service (frequently also designated as postal data) cannot be provided by the user of the arrangement for security reasons. However, normally it is possible for the user to personally freely provide specific settings of the arrangement and data stored in the arrangement (possibly within certain limits). Such data should be designated as user data or customer-dependent data in the following.
The user data or customer-dependent data (such as, for example, cliché and cost center data of a franking device) stored in a non-volatile manner in a memory of each franking device and must be rescued from a data loss in the event of repair. A franking machine or a personal computer that is operated as a PC franker and a commercially available printer are in particular controlled as a franking device.
A postal fee billing system is known from German Published Application DE 39 03 718 A1 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,111,030). Franking machine usage information is written to a chip card or read out therefrom. A transfer of data stored in first hardware to second hardware is, however, not possible in the case of defective hardware.
A method and apparatus for monitored controlled downloading of graphical images from a portable apparatus into a franking machine system is known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,085,180. For image data transfer, image data are stored in a portable device and are loaded in a controlled manner into a franking machine. The apparatus concerns only image data and is not connected to only one specific franking machine, i.e. the image data are not customer-specific.
A method and an arrangement for input of a printing stamp into a franking machine is known from the German Published Application DE 199 13 066 A1. In the franking machine of the type Jetmail® (manufacturer Francotyp Postalia GmbH), a preparation of a set of different country-specific and/or carrier-specific post stamp data ensues in a non-exchangeable memory of the franking machine in a first step and a configuration for a carrier and for a country in which the franking machine should be used ensues at the manufacturer in a second step. The configuration ensues by transmission of data by means of the integrated interface, in particular by means of a chip card via a chip card read/write unit of the franking machine. Data can be input into the franking machine in this manner. Either print images are transferred into the franking machine via an interface (for example chip card) or print images already present are selected for use. The data are not transferred from the franking machine to the chip card, and thus the chip card does not represent an updatable memory for print images.
An exchange of data without interconnected transfer means is known from the European Patent EP 560 714 B1 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,117). To secure postal accounting data, a defective (old) installation unit is exchanged for a non-defective (new) installation unit, and the data of the old installation unit are transmitted to the new installation unit after both have been interconnected together via plug connectors. However, a data memory cannot be exchanged individually but rather only together with the installation unit.
A security module placed in a security region, the security module being plugged into the mainboard (motherboard) of the meter of the franking machine of the type JetMail® and that contains the accounting data, is known from the German design patent DE 200 20 635 U1. Other customer-dependent data (such as, for example, cliché and cost center data) are stored in a non-volatile manner in a separate memory of each franking machine. A franking machine of the type JetMail® has a meter assembly group and a base assembly group. The meter housing is fashioned as a security housing for protection of the mainboard. Since the battery-buffered memory units used in the meter still exhibit a DIP housing, they could be plugged into corresponding sockets on the mainboard and are therefore easily exchangeable in the case of repair. However, pluggable memory ICs (for example in a DIP housing) are problematic due to possible problems as to availability, lower capacity and limited expansion capability.
Such memories are no longer available with capacity sufficient for the subsequently developed franking machines. The exchange of defective mainboards is made more difficult by the transition from pluggable memory modules (DIP housing) to permanently soldered memory ICs in SOP, TSSOP or BGA housings since the customer-dependent data (for example cliché, cost centers) cannot be transferred from one mainboard to another without further measures. Although this transfer was still possible in the franking machine of the type JetMail® via a plugging of the battery-buffered memory, since memory in the DIP housing could still be used, for a franking machine of the type Ultimail software was created with whose help the data can be transferred from the franking machine into a service computer or personal computer (PC) via a serial data connection. The customer data thus can be changed in franking machines. If, for example, a defective mainboard of the franking machine must be exchanged for a new mainboard, the customer data are first transferred from the franking machine to a service computer via a serial data connection and then are copied from the service computer into the memory of the new mainboard after the mainboard exchange. However, this procedure cannot be applied in the case of a mainboard that is so defective that the data cannot be transferred from the service computer. In this case no data can be salvaged and an increased effort must be made in order to repair the franking machine.
Published German Utility Model DE 20 2006 008 952.7 discloses an arrangement for exchanging customer data of a franking device.
Customer-specific data such as a cliché, cost centers, postage tables, advertisements, selective printings, print settings and other settings are permanently stored in a franking machine. None of these types of data are security-relevant and thus are stored in flash or NVRAM, i.e. in a memory permanently connected with the franking machine.
When a mainboard is defective, there should be the possibility to reproduce the customer-specific data on a new mainboard. For this reason the customer-specific data are stored in a second medium.
Specific mechanisms are required in order to ensure that the data from the second storage medium can be reproduced in the permanently connected memory of the new mainboard.